Lok Sabha poll: Amritsar police take action against trouble-makers after ‘vulnerability’ mapping

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, April 5

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the district administration and police – city as well as rural unit – have identified nearly 450 persons ‘causing vulnerability’, meaning those who could foment trouble or influence voters by threatening in one or the other way during polls.

Of these, ‘appropriate action’ has been taken against around 350 persons by the police department, said Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer Ghanshyam Thori.

The maximum number of trouble-makers (108) was identified in Attari assembly constituency followed by Baba Bakala which has 60 rabble-rousers.

As per information, around 100 persons were detained under preventive action while a number of them were asked to report to the police stations concerned at regular intervals.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the men in khaki have been keeping a close eye on history-sheeters and trouble-mongers.

“We have bound down many by asking them to appear at respective police station at regular intervals while those who could potentially create law and order problem during elections were detained and put behind bars,” he said, while adding that the police was committed to conducting free and fair polls. He said nobody who can disturb law and order would be spared, as per the guidelines of Election Commission of India.

As per city police authorities, there were around 135 trouble-makers in the five constituencies under their jurisdiction and action was initiated against 70 of them.

Similarly, rural police identified around 360 persons causing vulnerability and action was taken against 280 of them.